Mobile Drives Christmas Sales

* Getprice releases January Online Shopping Index*

There was a surge in Australians sourcing the best bargains on their phones over Christmas according to the January Getprice Online Shopping Index.

Traffic to Getprice’s mobile site soared 20 per cent in December.

Other key trends identified in the Index include:

- With the first school term underway, parents are searching for back-to-school items online as searches such as “Clark school shoes” and “calculators” rose in the top 50 searched for items on Getprice. – Searches for Apple products dropped 53 per cent with a non-Apple product taking out the number one searched for item for the first time since August 2010. This was a power hand tool. – Tablets did not make the top 20 for the first time since July 2011. – Brisbane continues to be the most active city when it comes to online shoppers using Getprice. – Monday continues to be the most popular day for online shopping on desktops/laptops while mobile shopping peaks on Sundays.

According to director of marketing and product at Getprice, David Whiteman, the increase in mobile traffic results comes as no surprise, with mobiles playing an increasingly important role in our lives.

“More than 50 percent of purchases are now influenced by online research, including mobile. Physical stores are becoming less relevant in terms of being the place shoppers make their researched purchase decisions.

“What our January site data tells us is that busy working mums are using Getprice at home online and on their mobiles to shop as they don’t have the time to spend long hours trawling the stores with their kids to find the best back to school gear. Whiteman suggests that bricks and mortar retailers have their benefits for the last minute shoppers.

“Bricks and mortar retailers allow for on-the-spot impulse purchasing. Online only represents about five percent of total retail dollars spent. Instant gratification plays a big role and so too does time constraints. Last minute purchases made in-store are common amongst parents with hectic schedules who lack the time needed to wait for a product to be shipped in.”

Whiteman argues that based on the findings for January, we shouldn’t believe that consumer interest in technology and the Apple brand in particular is waning.

“Apple products were not as popular this January because so many people got them for Christmas gifts, thus they were not searching for them as we entered the New Year.

“Technology products such as digital cameras, TVs and mobiles still topped our most searched list this January, indicating that consumer interest towards these products remains the same.” For more information or a copy of the January Index:

Elyse Malloy – Getprice Phone | 612 8114 6228 or Mobile | 0430 401 724

Email | elyse.malloy@newsdigitalmedia.com.au